The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw Volume I Part 47

line 145, 1646, 'light' for 'life.'

" 151, ib. 'that's.'

" 170, ib. 'their' for 'the offerings.'

In line 27 'Thee therefore &c.' is a thought not unfrequent with the panegyrists of James. BEN JONSON makes use of it at least twice. In the Masque of Blackness we have,

'With that great name Britannia, this blest isle Hath won her ancient dignity and style; A world divided from a world, and tried The abstract of it, in his general pride.'

SHAKESPEARE used the same thought more n.o.bly when he made it the theme of that glorious outburst of patriotism from the lips of the dying Gaunt. G.

VPON TWO GREENE APRIc.o.c.kES SENT TO COWLEY BY SIR CRASHAW.[87]

Take these, Time's tardy truants, sent by me 1 To be chastis'd (sweet friend) and chide by thee.

Pale sons of our Pomona! whose wan cheekes Have spent the patience of expecting weekes, Yet are scarce ripe enough at best to show 5 The redd, but of the blush to thee they ow.

By thy comparrison they shall put on More Summer in their shame's reflection, Than ere the fruitfull Phoebus' flaming kisses Kindled on their cold lips. O had my wishes 10 And the deare merits of your Muse, their due, The yeare had found some fruit early as you; Ripe as those rich composures Time computes Blossoms, but our blest tast confesses fruits.

How does thy April-Autumne mocke these cold 15 Progressions 'twixt whose termes poor Time grows old!

With thee alone he weares no beard, thy braine Gives him the morning World's fresh gold againe.

'Twas only Paradice, 'tis onely thou, Whose fruit and blossoms both blesse the same bough. 20 Proud in the patterne of thy pretious youth, Nature (methinks) might easily mend her growth.

Could she in all her births but coppie thee, Into the publick yeares proficiencie, No fruit should have the face to smile on thee 25 (Young master of the World's maturitie) But such whose sun-borne beauties what they borrow Of beames to day, pay back again to morrow, Nor need be double-gilt. How then must these Poor fruites looke pale at thy Hesperides! 30 Faine would I chide their slownesse, but in their Defects I draw mine own dull character.

Take them, and me in them acknowledging, How much my Summer waites upon thy Spring.

ALEXIAS:

THE COMPLAINT OF THE FORSAKEN WIFE OF SAINTE ALEXIS.[88]

THE FIRST ELEGIE.

I late the Roman youth's loud prayse and pride, 1 Whom long none could obtain, though thousands try'd; Lo, here am left (alas!) For my lost mate T' embrace my teares, and kisse an vnkind fate.

Sure in my early woes starres were at strife, 5 And try'd to make a widow ere a wife.

Nor can I tell (and this new teares doth breed) In what strange path, my lord's fair footsteppes bleed.

O knew I where he wander'd, I should see Some solace in my sorrow's certainty: 10 I'd send my woes in words should weep for me, (Who knowes how powerfull well-writt praires would be.) Sending's too slow a word; myselfe would fly.

Who knowes my own heart's woes so well as I?

But how shall I steal hence? Alexis thou, 15 Ah thou thy self, alas! hast taught me how.

Loue too that leads the way would lend the wings To bear me harmlesse through the hardest things.

And where Loue lends the wing, and leads the way, What dangers can there be dare say me nay? 20 If I be s.h.i.+pwrack't, Loue shall teach to swimme: If drown'd, sweet is the death indur'd for him: The noted sea shall change his name with me, I'mongst the blest starres, a new name shall be.

And sure where louers make their watry graues, 25 The weeping mariner will augment the waues.

For who so hard, but pa.s.sing by that way Will take acquaintance of my woes, and say Here 'twas the Roman maid found a hard fate, While through the World she sought her wandring mate 30 Here perish't she, poor heart; Heauns, be my vowes As true to me, as she was to her spouse.

O liue, so rare a loue! liue! and in thee The too frail life of femal constancy.

Farewell; and s.h.i.+ne, fair soul, s.h.i.+ne there aboue 35 Firm in thy crown, as here fast in thy loue.

There thy lost fugitiue th' hast found at last: Be happy; and for euer hold him fast.

THE SECOND ELEGIE.

Though all the ioyes I had, fled hence with thee, 1 Vnkind! yet are my teares still true to me: I'm wedded o're again since thou art gone; Nor couldst thou, cruell, leaue me quite alone.

Alexis' widdow now is Sorrow's wife, 5 With him shall I weep out my weary life.

Wellcome, my sad-sweet mate! Now haue I gott At last a constant Loue, that leaues me not: Firm he, as thou art false; nor need my cryes Thus vex the Earth and teare the beauteous skyes. 10 For him, alas! n'ere shall I need to be Troublesom to the world thus as for thee: For thee I talk to trees; with silent groues Expostulate my woes and much-wrong'd loues; Hills and relentlesse rockes, or if there be 15 Things that in hardnesse more allude to thee, To these I talk in teares, and tell my pain, And answer too for them in teares again.

How oft haue I wept out the weary sun!

My watry hour-gla.s.se hath old Time's outrunne. 20 O I am learned grown: poor Loue and I Haue study'd ouer all Astrology; I'm perfect in Heaun's state; with euery starr My skillfull greife is grown familiar.

Rise, fairest of those fires; what'ere thou be 25 Whose rosy beam shall point my sun to me.

Such as the sacred light that e'rst did bring The Eastern princes to their infant King, O rise, pure lamp! and lend thy golden ray That weary Loue at last may find his way. 30

THE THIRD ELEGIE.

Rich, churlish Land! that hid'st so long in thee 1 My treasures; rich, alas! by robbing mee.

Needs must my miseryes owe that man a spite Who e're he be was the first wandring knight.

O had he nere been at that cruell cost 5 Natvre's virginity had nere been lost; Seas had not bin rebuk't by sawcy oares But ly'n lockt vp safe in their sacred sh.o.r.es; Men had not spurn'd at mountaines; nor made warrs With rocks, nor bold hands struck the World's strong barres, 10 Nor lost in too larg bounds, our little Rome Full sweetly with it selfe had dwell't at home.

My poor Alexis, then, in peacefull life Had vnder some low roofe lou'd his plain wife; But now, ah me! from where he has no foes 15 He flyes; and into willfull exile goes.

Cruell, return, O tell the reason why Thy dearest parents have deseru'd to dy.

And I, what is my crime, I cannot tell, Vnlesse it be a crime t' haue lou'd too well. 20 If heates of holyer loue and high desire, Make bigge thy fair brest with immortall fire, What needes my virgin lord fly thus from me, Who only wish his virgin wife to be?

Witnesse, chast Heauns! no happyer vowes I know 25 Then to a virgin grave vntouch't to goe.

Loue's truest knott by Venus is not ty'd, Nor doe embraces onely make a bride.

The queen of angels (and men chast as you) Was maiden-wife and maiden-mother too. 30 Cecilia, glory of her name and blood, With happy gain her maiden-vowes made good: The l.u.s.ty bridegroom made approach; young man Take heed (said she) take heed, Valerian!

My bosome's guard, a spirit great and strong, 35 Stands arm'd, to sheild me from all wanton wrong; My chast.i.ty is sacred; and my Sleep Wakefull, her dear vowes vndefil'd to keep.

Pallas beares armes, forsooth; and should there be No fortresse built for true Virginity? 40 No gaping Gorgon, this: none, like the rest Of your learn'd lyes. Here you'll find no such iest.

I'm your's: O were my G.o.d, my Christ so too, I'd know no name of Loue on Earth but you.

He yeilds, and straight baptis'd, obtains the grace 45 To gaze on the fair souldier's glorious face.

Both mixt at last their blood in one rich bed Of rosy martyrdome, twice married.

O burn our Hymen bright in such high flame, Thy torch, terrestriall Loue, haue here no name. 50 How sweet the mutuall yoke of man and wife, When holy fires maintain Loue's heaunly life!

But I (so help me Heaun my hopes to see) When thousands sought my loue, lou'd none but thee.

Still, as their vain teares my firm vowes did try, 55 Alexis, he alone is mine (said I).

Half true, alas! half false, proues that poor line, Alexis is alone; but is not mine.

NOTES AND ILl.u.s.tRATIONS.

The heading in 1648 omits 'Sainte.' These variations from 1648 are interesting:

1st Elegy: Line 9, 'would' for 'should.'

Line 17, our text (1652) drops 'way' inadvertently. TURNBULL tinkers it by reading 'thee' for 'the,' instead of collating the texts.

Line 23, 'its' for 'his.'

" 25, 'when' for 'where.'

" 37, I have adopted 'th" for 'thou' of our text (1652).

2d Elegy: Line 1, our text (1652) misspells 'fleed.'